Plastic is Fantastic (Part 1) - Medical Miracles

Posted on 06 Oct 2026

Introduction

Unfortunately, I have only one eye that functions effectively. Thus, it was with some trepidation I agreed to a cataract operation to rectify my failing sight. I need not have worried! In just 20 minutes, the surgeon inserted a new plastic lens in my eye, and the vision is rapidly returning to normal.

As I already have two replacement hips and knee, all of which include plastic, I got to thinking how many surgical procedures rely on plastics for their application and success, I was astonished at the results. A sample of which are as follows:

Plastic facts - Millions of These Plastic Dependant Surgical Procedures take place in the UK every year!

• Cataract operations – Acrylic and Silicone plastic. Some 680,000, cataract operations inserting plastic lenses, take place in the UK each year (Royal College of Ophthalmologists).
  
  
• Heart Valves – Polyester Dacron and plastic sewing components, circa 13-15,000 of these plastic insertions take place in the UK every year (National Library of Medicine).
  
  
• Heart Lung Bypass – Between 25 & 30,000 of these operations are carried out in the UK incorporating PVC tubing and Silicone plastic (Anaesthesia). Amazingly up to 6kg of plastic is used in a heart-lung by-pass operation (European Journal of Surgery)
  
  
• Hip and knee replacements – Ultra High Molecular polyethylene is used to carry out around 300,000 hip and knee replacements in the UK, each year (National Joint Registry) with around 177,000 hip replacements, and 135,000 knee replacements all utilising plastics.
  
  
• Urinary Catheters - Latex covered Silicone or Polyethylene. An estimated 1 million people regularly need catheters inserted in the UK each year. In addition, 15-20% of all NHS patients, 2.5 – 3 million people admitted to hospital require a urinary catheter at some point in their stay (NICE Assessment). In total the NHS uses over 75 million plastic catheters each year! (NHS Supply Chain).
   
• Dental Implants and Dentures – Acrylic Resins and plastic polymers are used for UK dental implants at a cost of £2,500-£3,000 each. With up to 1 million people having dentures fitted each year. (Adult oral health survey).

Enough is Enough

These figures demonstrate beyond dispute that the use of plastics in modern healthcare is overwhelming. Indeed it could be argued that many of our modern medical practices could not exist without plastics and millions of people would die early or suffer from long term illness as a consequence.

Due to brevity, I have omitted to include procedures for breast implants, cochlear implants, spinal cases, pacemaker installation, hernia repairs, vascular grafts and bone cement, among others. All of which utilise plastics in their treatment and / or maintenance. I have also omitted to use any worldwide statistics of Plastic use in surgery, as these run to the hundreds of millions of applications every year.  

Why Does Medical Science Choose to use Plastic?

Plastics do not trigger an immune response

Plastics are resistant to corrosion inside the body

Plastics can be sterilised safely

Plastics are strong and lightweight

Plastics are highly flexible in application and use

Plastics often last for decades

In Summary

We are inundated with Quasi research which alludes, implies, suggests or infers, that microplastics are harmful to humans. In addition, ‘Plastic Pollution’ is constantly used as a precursor (despite the evidence of our own eyes) to claims that somehow our environment is awash with plastics.

Even if these claims were just partly true, these ‘plastic problems’ are infinitesimal when set against the health benefits plastics give to many millions of us every living day. The gifts of sight, hearing, mobility, healthy organs, bodily functions, even the very breaths some people take, rely on the use of plastics allied to the skills of the medical profession.

Thus, whilst plastic may not be man’s greatest invention, without plastic, many millions of people would die earlier, or alternatively not be physically able to enjoy the lifestyle they have today.  

I should add that if plastics were invented today, their benefits to humanity, due to their use in medical science would ensure that they would be hailed as a new wonder material.

As ever, I welcome you’re your thoughts on any of the points made and invite you to join me on LinkedIn for more regular updates.    

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-twigg-3a440b53/

#DontHatePlastic